Local government needs to provide better guidance to recruiters on what to do when they encounter workers they suspect of being the victims of modern slavery.

The call comes from industrial, technical, transport and energy recruiter Encore Personnel in response to the government’s latest release of details about its new taskforce to tackle modern slavery in both the UK and overseas yesterday.

Late yesterday the Gangmasters Licensing Authority revealed it has been invited by Prime Minister Theresa May to join her anti-slavery taskforce.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph last month, the PM announced plans for a new UK cabinet taskforce to tackle modern slavery, with £33m from the aid budget allocated to fund anti-slavery initiatives overseas.

In a statement released yesterday, providing further details about the taskforce, the GLA revealed it would form part of the taskforce that would focus on four specific objectives.

These include:

• Bringing resources targeted at modern slavery in line with those that tackle other forms of organised crime – including increasing investigatory capabilities and intelligence provision; 
• Increasing and improving investigations into the perpetrators of modern slavery, through further education of law enforcement officers on the nature of modern slavery offences; the provision of additional tools to support investigations such as greater data and intelligence; and more effective use of joint investigation teams;
• Improving successful prosecution levels with further education of prosecuting authorities on modern slavery, and improvements to the quality of supporting evidence;
• Improving international cooperation to tackle modern slavery.

In March this year, Encore announced it was taking steps to support its clients and staff in the “moral issue” of recognising and preventing slavery and human trafficking.

Phil Tilt, Encore’s compliance manager told Recruiter this morning the most difficult issue he has encountered when tackling modern slavery is trying to get the workers to admit that they are being enslaved or under any duress.

“It would be beneficial to have help from local authorities on what to do when we suspect there are issues and how to approach, if we do approach, these individuals and how to help them in the first instance,” says Tilt.

“I think the government needs to look at the training of police at local level so they can work with local businesses, especially recruitment companies, in spotting the early signs and being able to offer help and advice when people contact them with concerns.”

Tilt said he thought the taskforce was a great first step in tackling modern slavery, adding the move shows that the UK is leading the fight in this area.

The government has also earmarked £33m from the UK aid budget to tackle modern slavery in high-risk countries, where victims are known to be trafficked regularly to the UK.

In particular £5m will be spent in Nigeria, working with authorities there to strengthen anti-trafficking agencies and reduce the vulnerability of those at risk of being trafficked, particularly in areas such as Edo state identified as the West African nation’s key trafficking hub. 

The membership of the new taskforce is as follows:

• PM (chair) 
• Home Secretary (deputy chair)
• Justice Secretary 
• Attorney General
• Development Secretary
• Communities Secretary
• Baroness Anelay
• Permanent Secretary, Home Office
• Chair, Joint Intelligence Committee
• Anti-Slavery Commissioner
• Labour Market Enforcement Director
• Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser
• Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Partners to include:

• Met Police Commissioner
• Europol
• Interpol
• Heads of MI6, MI5, GCHQ
• British Red Cross
• Caroline Haughey
• DG, RUSI
• Local Government Association
• Senior policing leads